Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Royal Bank of Canada’s investment arm has launched a new coaching program for LGBT professionals in the capital markets industry in the Greater Toronto area, which the bank says is the first program of its kind in the country.

The program, called Common Grounds, has been launched in a partnership with LGBT in Capital Markets, a not-for-profit organization that advances LGBT individuals in the capital markets industry.

“There is a tremendous business case for diversity, and this program is an important step forward in enabling and investing in LGBT+ talent,” said Derek Flood, head of Canadian equities and co-chair of the Canadian Diversity Leadership Council at RBC Capital Markets, in a statement. “We hope Common Grounds sends a strong message about the support that exists for bringing one’s full self to work.”

by Cathy AlexOriginally published: May 30, 2017Publisher: CBC.caThe works of two Thunder Bay artists have been selected for a prestigious juried exhibition opening Thursday night at the John B. Aird Gallery in Toronto.Queer Landscapes, Queer Intersections touches on themes of sexuality, discrimination and identity, issues near and dear to the heart of Jayal Chung."I'm always interested in peeling back the layers and finding out more about myself and more about other people, how different experiences shape us," Chung said.

by Peter JamisonOriginally published: May 29, 2017Publisher: Washingtonpost.com The world was changing in 1990, as East German troops bulldozed the Berlin Wall and computer scientists unleashed a novel information-sharing system called the World Wide Web.But Deborah Jean Bryant remembers that time for a more personal reason: It was then that she filed a sexual discrimination complaint against the District of Columbia that has been litigated for the past 27 years. The length may set a record for the court system in the nation’s capital and is likely among the most protracted in the history of American jurisprudence.Bryant, a 59-year-old who once worked in a typing pool for the District’s Department of Corrections, accused her former supervisor of denying her a promotion because she rebuffed his advances. In 1992, the director of the city’s now-defunct Department of Human Rights and Minority Business Development ruled in her favor.

by Georgene HuangOriginally published: May 30, 2017Publisher: Forbes.com The great Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “Sunlight...is the best of disinfectants.” This metaphor for the natural and desirable byproduct of transparency has always appealed to me. In fact, it’s one of the founding principles of Fairygodboss, the women’s-only employee job review site focused on women’s perspectives and concerns that I co-founded.This week, I learned of a unique transparency practice at Google: an internal email list-serve, which is run by employees and referred to as “Yes, At Google,” tracks anonymous complaints of harassment or bias incidents. The company reportedly actually encourages employees to use it as a resource.In fact, a spokesperson of Google told Bloomberg: "We work really hard to promote and preserve a culture of respect and inclusion...Our employees have numerous ways to raise issues — both negative and positive — with us, including through grassroots transparency efforts like this one. We take concerns seriously and take appropriate measures to address them."

by Bob Violino Originally published: May 30, 2017Publisher: CIO.com How old is too old to work in IT? That depends on who is doing the hiring and paying the salaries of IT pros. But one thing is for certain: Widespread age discrimination has become a central issue, affecting many people working or seeking work in today’s IT industry, according to legal and career experts.“Large percentages of IT professionals see age discrimination as a serious problem, and leaders in the tech industry boast of their preference for young workers,” says Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, senior attorney advisor at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or employee because of a person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, or age.

by Emil GuillermoOriginally published: May 29, 2017Publisher: DiverseEducation.com Two weeks ago, I was in Arlington, Va., giving an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month speech at the national headquarters of the Army National Guard.Who else is mandated by law to celebrate diversity at the workplace like those within the federal government?But at the Army National Guard, it’s more than lip service because over there people seem to know diversity is an essential part of its core mission. And, on top of that, they know it really works.

by KAROL RUTKOWSKIOriginally published: May 30, 2017Publisher: SATprnews.comLeading-edge diversity and ethnicity reporting tool launched by New Zealand business ChampionsForty-four of New Zealand’s leading private and publicly-listed companies have voluntarily committed to a new diversity reporting framework that heralds a huge commitment to change, and one that will enable a new generation of diverse leaders to drive New Zealand’s future economic growth and social prosperity.In an international capacity, the reporting framework is at the forefront of reporting. It has been, developed by Champions for Change, on gender and ethnicity representation within the workforce and across boards, with a spotlight on leadership pipelines.

by Charlotte Rogers Originally published: May 30, 2017Publisher: MarketingWeek.com Over the past year, employers from every section of society have been redoubling their efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. Brands across the UK are successfully breaking down the barriers around gender, ethnicity, disability and sexuality. However, for the most part their efforts have stopped short of promoting neurodiversity.Neurodiverse conditions encompass dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and autism, including Asperger’s syndrome.This means that neurodiveristy is by no means a rarity. Some 10% of the population have dyslexia, a learning difficulty that can result in problems with reading, writing and spelling. Of those, 4% are severely affected, according to the British Dyslexia Association.

by DAVID ISRAELSONOriginally published: May 30, 2017Publisher: CorporateKnights.com Which Canadian firms are leading on female management and what can be done to bridge that remaining gap?Thhree years after regulators brought in new rules to boost gender balance on boards and in executive suites, corporate Canada still has a long way to go.That’s the consensus among experts looking at surveys analysing the companies and sectors that have made the most progress in balancing men and women on their boards and in their C-suites.“No, we’re not making enough progress – we need to be moving much faster,” says Jennifer Reynolds, president and CEO of Women in Capital Markets, a nationwide network that advocates for women in this part of the financial sector.

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

by Zongile NhlapoOriginally published: May 29,2017Publisher: Huffingtonpost.com According to the World Economic Forum's 2016 Global Gender Gap Index, South Africa ranks 15th out of 145 countries in terms of closing the pay gap between women and men. And by developing country standards, this is not bad at all. But while this is progress, the disparities are still glaringly high:

31 percent of South African companies have no female representation in senior leadership roles;

22 percent of board directors are women, but only 7 percent are executive directors, according to the latest Businesswomen's Association of South Africa census; and

Only 10 percent of South African CEOs are women, and if we look at Johannesburg Stock Exchange companies, this number drops to 2.2 percent.

by SHEREE FRANKLIN-HILLOriginally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: HueWire.com There is no mistaking the fact race relations have undergone a dramatic shift in the last few months. However, this does not mean that personal biases or prejudices had not existed before; the difference is that people are more comfortable with expressing their feelings.In my experience, when people have the opportunity to choose a seat on a flight, they often try to avoid sitting next to anyone that is traveling with a small or child, as well as sitting in the middle seat. I firmly believe there are more fair-minded, good people than those who are quick to make a snap judgment based on the color of a person’s skin. People of color must see this period as an opportunity to expand our toolsets as well as our relationships, to sustain ourselves in these interesting times.Also, many individuals have a lot of things going on in their lives that we may not even realize. So, it’s important we must interact with others, while being aware of and sensitive to the fact that everyone is dealing with something.

by SAM WHEELER AND LEO GERTNEROriginally published: May 26, 2017Publisher: Salon.com In the past several months, there’s been a noted uptick in political speech at work. That speech has often made national news, from Sally Yates’ dismissal as interim attorney general to IBM workers organizing against their employer’s support of Donald Trump. In the early days of the Trump administration, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance’s strike against the Muslim ban at John F. Kennedy International Airport stood out as an impressive act of resistance and solidarity. And even before Trump’s election, Colin Kaepernick, then a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, sparked a national discussion when he refused to stand during the national anthem in protest of racism against African-Americans and other people of color.Protests against the administration are building quickly, with diverse groups organizing mass protests against the administration’s policies. This month, on May Day—otherwise known as International Workers’ Day—thousands of workers across the country took to the streets to challenge Trump’s draconian and unconstitutional immigration policies. In all likelihood, political activity at work will only increase throughout the Trump administration, all of which begs the question: How protected are workers who talk politics on the job?

In this momentous Canada 150 year, the Government of Canada is proud to support Canadian Multiculturalism Day celebrations taking place in Montréal, Vancouver and Toronto on June 27. These lively festivities are part of Celebrate Canada days 2017.

The Government of Canada provided Les FrancoFolies de Montréal with funding of $400,000 to organize activities for Canadian Multiculturalism Day. Financial support of $230,000 was granted to Harbourfront Centre for the celebrations in Toronto. Finally, $200,000 was awarded to the Canada Place Corporation for Multiculturalism Day in Vancouver.

The funding provided to these three organizations for Canadian Multiculturalism Day comes from Canadian Heritage's Canada 150 Fund.

by Tony ConnellyOriginally published: May 29, 2017Publisher: TheDrum.com Nike will see the return of its campaign for LGBTQ causes after announcing a new 'Be True' collection would launch on 1 June.The initiative started six years ago as a an employee-led grassroots program inspired by the benefits diversity can bring to communities and workplaces. It has since grown into an annual campaign centred around new rainbow themed collections which have helped raised around $2.5m in the US for LGBT causes.This year's line will include both footwear and apparel and will feature the rainbow as well as "other prominent symbols of Pride, including the colour pink and the triangle."

by Cameron GloverOriginally published: May 29, 2017Publisher: ThinkProgress.orgOn a recent trip to the mall, I found myself surrounded by a variety of products that seemed to cater to feminism. “Girl Power” t-shirts, pink cat-earred beanies that were made to emulate the now-notorious “pink p*ssy” hats of the Women’s March in January, and other forms of clothing and accessories that loudly proclaimed “femme,” “womanhood,” or “girl” to the world.Seeing these blatantly feminist products gave me a sense of pride at first. As a Black feminist, I had hope that the visibility of feminism in mainstream merchandise would create some much-needed momentum to the movement, particularly for causes that centered on marginalized communities. But as time went on, and the popularity of feminist-labeled items grew in fashion and consumerism as a whole, I began to wonder what role capitalism would play for the movement.The momentum of the Women’s March has cooled, leaving behind more questions than answers. For many of us, the Women’s March and other mainstream feminist actions have risen the question of who is allowed to be involved — cis, able-bodied, white womanhood is still centered above all others and has the most social capital. And these are the same people who gain the most by allowing capitalism to enter feminism.

by Virginia BackaitisOriginally published: May 29, 2017 Publisher: NYPost.com For anyone who has recently left the military, it can be a tough moment when it’s time to take off the uniform. It feels as if part of your identity comes off with you.“It can feel psychologically devastating,” says Army veteran Richard Jones. But it is something that you can triumph over and a point from which you can find new heights, according to Jones.And Jones knows of what he speaks. Having suffered fractures to his legs, coccyx, lumbar and cervical vertebrae after a parachute malfunction during an airborne-assault training exercise, he enrolled in college, graduate school and then some.

by Rola Seifeddine/Originally published: may 27, 2017Publisher: KhaleeJTimes.com No other topic has been debated in such great detail as that of men versus women. Numerous books have been printed on the battle between the two genders, including John Gary's much trumpeted Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. However, one of the questions in the minds of many people is whether the fight for gender equality has been successfully accomplished or is still ongoing. There is no doubt that the workplace continues to be male-dominated by substantial numbers, but women are eagerly marching forward and moving up the ranks to carve a niche for themselves by proving their competence to lead in management roles across numerous sectors.Men and women have a diverse set of personality traits that are positive in their own right. Men tend to value power and proficiency. They are always trying to prove themselves by developing their power and leadership skills. On the other hand, women are paving the way for their empowerment. These viewpoints will remain unchanged and gender diversity will continue to be a hot topic in the world of business.If we look at the status of women across the globe, we have to agree that women do not have equal rights. However, many societies and cultures have come a long way and have granted far more rights to women in the present than ever before. Professions that have been male-dominated in the past are seeing an evolution today, and women are increasingly taking on leadership positions. Women in the UAE, for instance, are continuously exploring different ways to embrace change and demonstrating it by owning and running approximately half of the small and medium-sized enterprises, according to the Ministry of Economy.

by Alex Kakavelakis Originally published: May 29, 2017Publisher: TD.orgThere has been a lot of talk recently about the efficacy of bias training in the workplace. While it’s a noble goal to try and limit bias in the workplace, these training programs have been criticized with good reason. Studies have found that these training exercises are either ineffective or counterproductive, and many agree they are a waste of time. However, that doesn’t mean that the entire concept should be thrown out. Their ineffectiveness may not be indicative of a fundamental flaw, but could be uncovering inadequate levels of support or lack of reinforcement. According to a Harvard Business Review study, 96 percent of participants in diversity training courses left intending to limit their unconscious biases, suggesting that these training initiatives can motivate employees to engage in better behaviors, but lack concrete follow-through. This appears to be one of the biggest mistakes leadership makes when offering bias training: It’s never revisited. To make training effective, companies need to reinforce the information presented on a more frequent basis and codify it into company policy.

Monday, May 29, 2017

by Ivy ChiuOriginally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: CanadianImmigrant.caI was in elementary school when my family moved to Vancouver from Hong Kong. As a kid, I remember wanting to feel like I belonged to my new community and to integrate to Canadian culture, although much of what surrounded me was unfamiliar. What I couldn’t articulate at that young age was the ambivalence between my wish to belong as well as to retain my identity. Perhaps this is a feeling that’s familiar for many newcomers or anyone who has moved to a new city, community or organization — yet it is possible to achieve both.For instance, contributing to my community played a key role in helping me adapt to life in Canada. My family introduced ourselves to neighbours who quickly became friends, and as we volunteered for organizations whose causes we believed in, our sense of community grew as well.

Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: CBC.com A new study from the Mowat Centre in Toronto suggests that a basic income program could encourage people to take the leap and start their own socially conscious businesses. The study involved surveying and interviewing members of the Centre for Social Innovation, which has sites in Toronto. It indicated that a basic income could give a leg up to people with a bright idea but limited resources to get it off the ground. "Given our research, we think that a basic income could de-risk social entrepreneurship for people. We think that it could encourage more people from marginalized communities to try social entrepreneurship as a career," said Michael Crawford Urban, a policy associate at the Mowat Centre and co-author of the report.

by Sara Margulis Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: Entrepreneur.com Times have changed since the era of majority-female homemakers and male breadwinners: Women today make up 60 percent of the workforce in the United States and are working their way up to top executive positions. That's progress, but there's less positive news when it comes to maternity and family leave: In fact, U.S. policy has yet to catch up to the rest of the world in these areas.Under current federal law, new mothers may legally take up to 12 weeks off with job protection, but only 13 percent of new mothers receive any compensation during their leave. A 2015 UN report described the United States as one of only four countries in the world that do not offer paid maternity leave. And, within this country itself, only three states -- California, New Jersey and Rhode Island -- offer it.Even in those states, new mothers are eligible only for partial income replacement through their state's disability/family leave program, supported by payroll taxes. (California fathers are also eligible for paid family leave.) If a business employs staff in these states, its corporate benefits can be designed to supplement the gap in income. Employees of these businesses who live in other states? They're out of luck.

by Ellen McGirtOriginally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: Fortune.com I’m back from the Great Place to Work For All conference in Chicago, where I was treated to a full day of conversation with passionate, inclusive professionals who left with a renewed commitment to their work. They were not there to play. More on that in a moment.Alan Murray, the president of Fortune and the chief content officer of Time Inc., was also on hand, and lead a series of fascinating interviews with leaders from four companies on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list: Cisco Chairman John Chambers, Genentech founder Herb Boyer and current CEO Bill Anderson, PwC U.S. chairman Tim Ryan, and AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson.

by Ariel Parrella-AureliOriginally published: Publisher: Workforce.com “Any millennials in the room?” asked Ann Marr to a group of diverse, young, attentive individuals. The vice president of global human resources at World Wide Technology Inc. got her answer immediately as easily more than half of the people in the room raised their hands, to which she said, “Wow, but that’s not surprising.”At the 2017 Great Place to Work For All’s conference in Chicago, the word millennial was buzzing around like a busy bee. Marr held a breakout session as part of the conference’s first full day May 24 that highlighted why millennials are beneficial to companies and develop a pipeline of talent, especially to tech companies like WWT.The millennial tech smarts, diverse demographics, large population and inspiring, fresh ideas make them beneficial to the workforce in a way that is crucial to business success and relevance.

Originally published: May 26, 2017Publisher: CFOinnovation.com Many organizations are adopting blind recruitment in an effort to help eliminate unconscious bias, according to recruiting experts Hays, in the latest edition of the Hays Journal.Blind recruitment involves omitting personally identifiable information, such as name, gender, age and education, from applicant CVs. The aim is to overcome unconscious bias during the recruitment process, which can be counterproductive to a strategy to improve workplace diversity.“Everyone has unconscious bias,” says Yvonne Smyth, Head of Diversity at Hays. “At its most basic, it is about whether you see someone as part of your ‘in group’. For example, do you have a Caucasian sounding name, as I do? Did you go to the same university as me?

by Garnet RoachOriginally published: May 26, 2017Publisher: IRmagazine.com Globally, two thirds of the top jobs in investor relations are held by men. At FTSE 100 companies, 70 percent of heads of IR are male; among the top 100 firms in the S&P 500, almost four fifths of senior IR positions are occupied by men. In Canada, 70 percent of IR chiefs at S&P/TSX 60 firms are men. And on Germany’s DAX, men run the IR departments at 26 of the country’s 30 largest companies.*No matter how you split the numbers – globally, regionally or by market cap size – the findings are the same. Despite starting from an almost equal number of men and women working in investor relations overall, the IR Magazine Global IR Practice Report 2016 (published in January 2017) shows that disproportionately more men make it into the top jobs.These figures might make stark reading for IROs working in what, at first glance around an IR conference, appears to be an industry where the jobs are shared out almost equally. But for those with an active interest, the numbers come as no surprise. In fact, ‘It didn’t surprise me but it does continue to disappoint me’ is the prevailing response.

by Jay-Anne B. CasugaOriginally published: May 26, 2017Publisher: BNA.com Race. Sex. Age. Employers regularly ask for such demographic information in job applications. Questions about a job seeker’s sexual orientation and gender identity are less common, if not rare.Goldman Sachs Group Inc. recently confirmed to Bloomberg BNA that it’s inviting job applicants to voluntarily self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender as a way to increase diversity in its workforce.It’s a trend that’s beginning to gain traction among professional organizations, not just in the finance and banking sectors but in consulting and legal fields, Michelle Phillips, a management attorney with Jackson Lewis in White Plains, N.Y., told Bloomberg BNA.

by Rob Morris Originally published: May 26, 2017Publisher: PersonnelToday.com Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have pledged to introduce ethnicity pay gap reporting if they come to power on 9 June. But how would this policy work in practice? Rob Moss examines pay gap reporting for ethnic minorities.At first glance, the idea of emulating the new gender pay gap reporting requirements to create a similar tool to measure employers’ ethnic diversity seems to make sense. Take the regulations used for gender and apply them to race in much the same way. One protected characteristic is simply swapped for another.However, it’s one thing to compare men’s pay to that of women’s; it’s another to compare white British employees’ pay with the pay of other ethnic groups.

Friday, May 26, 2017

by Andrea Park Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: CBSnews.com Alan Cumming wrapped "The Good Wife" in 2016, but the actor and activist is staying busy with TV and film projects, concerts and human rights activism work. The Scottish-born actor is known for his tireless work with organizations like GLAAD, the Hetrick-Martin Institute, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the Ali Forney Center, the Family Equality Council and more. Cumming will host the first-ever Village Voice Pride Awards in New York on June 21, which will recognize local and global heroes in the LGBTQ movement. He talked to CBS News about the event, his concerns for the LGBT community during President Donald Trump's term and his new TV show, "Instinct."

Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: Lexology.com The national epidemic of opioid abuse and overdoses is almost a daily feature in news media. Meanwhile, recent figures indicate that prescriptions for painkillers continue to increase in Canada. It is in this context that the Canadian Human Rights Commission recently released a new guide: Impaired at Work: Guide to Accommodating Substance Dependence. As stated at the outset of the guide, its purpose is “to help federally-regulated employers address substance dependence in the workplace in a way that is in harmony with human rights legislation.”The definition of disability under the Canadian Human Rights Act includes “previous or existing dependence on alcohol or drugs.” It follows that federally-regulated employers have a duty to accommodate an employee with substance dependence. The Impaired at Work guide sets out a five step process to fulfilling this duty:

Recognize the signs: Employers may observe negative changes in an employee’s behaviour, performance, and attendance at work. While these changes are not necessarily indicative of substance dependence, in some cases, the observed behaviour could be the consequence of substance dependence.

by MACIEJ HEYMANOriginally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: Military-technologies.netPut your organizational integrity on displayIs your organization dedicated to making the world a smarter, safer, healthier and more sustainable place? Show us how corporate social responsibility is woven into the fabric of your mission.You’re leading the charge on diversity, organizational transparency, service learning, public health and education. We want to see how you promoted those efforts and how they’ve made a difference for your organization. This program features 21 categories, including two options for grand prize submissions: CSR Campaign of the Year and Agency of the Year.Tell us how you got employees excited about volunteering. Share the results of a public health or safety initiative that educated your community and really made a difference. We want to see the events you executed in the name of a good cause. What press coverage were you able to land for a pro bono project?

by Michael Cole-FontaynOriginally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: CityAM.com ollowing Mental Health Awareness Week earlier in May, my thoughts turned to this year’s theme: surviving or thriving.The theme marks a turning point in our approach, shifting from mental ill-health to exploring how we can cultivate emotional and mental resilience.Many people will experience difficulty in their lives. Across Europe, one in four people have experienced at least one episode of psychological disorders in the past year.For the financial services industry in particular, the intense working culture is well-documented and the statistics are stark. Jobs in the sector are 44 per cent more likely to lead to stress-related illnesses than the average job, according to the City Mental Health Alliance.

Originally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: HeraldScotland.com WORKPLACES that are more diverse and inclusive have the potential to deliver an eye-watering boost to the economy, the first national conference on equal opportunities for people regardless of gender, age, ethnic background, disability or orientation has heard.Nearly 200 delegates at The Herald and GenAnalytics Diversity Conference heard that closing the gender pay gap could be worth £6.5 billion to the economy while increasing levels of employment among people with disabilities by only five per cent would add a further £5bn by 2030.In addition, there would be a further £24bn gain from the full representation in the British workplace of black people and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. Dr Lesley Sawers, Executive Chair of GenAnalytics, which works with business to deliver diverse workforces, described the potential net gains as eye-watering.

Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: HRMAsia.comMore organisations around the world are now adopting blind recruitment in an effort to help eliminate unconscious bias when screening candidates,Unconscious bias, according to the latest edition of the Hays Journal, can lead to lower workplace diversity.Blind recruitment typically involves omitting personally identifiable information, such as name, gender, age and education, from applicant CVs.In the process, unconscious bias is removed or minimised during the recruitment process, Hays found.Unconscious bias does not discriminate.

by Brian Groom Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: FT.com Mandated targets help widen the talent pool, but can be demeaning to beneficiaries.Please use the sharing tools found via the email icon at the top of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. Where corporate chiefs often pay lip service to boardroom diversity, Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz has done something about it. The coffee chain recently added two non-white directors, meaning that 36 per cent of its board are from ethnic minorities, 29 per cent are female and they range in age from millennials to baby boomers.

Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: Newswire.caAs part of their ongoing efforts to promote professional mentorship with female executives, the Women's Executive Network (WXN) and American Express Canada have partnered to release "Mentorship Fundamentals," a practical new guide designed to help women start, structure and get the most from their mentorship relationships.Both organizations believe that mentorship opens up opportunities for professionals at any career stage, from high-powered executives to junior employees. The right mentorship strategy can help an aspiring executive plan a career move, get feedback on a project or expand their professional network."Mentorship can be your window to the professional potential you have but just can't see yet. It's one of the best ways for leaders, women in particular, to get the support they need to take their careers to the next level," says Sherri Stevens, Owner and CEO of WXN. "Plus, mentorship is beneficial to both parties involved. The mentee gets advice and the mentor gets a fresh perspective, a personal connection to the next generation."

by Dr. John Sullivan Originally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: TLNT.comMost firms have no idea that they have a revolving door that is bleeding diversity talent, because unexplainably, they don’t measure and report diversity turnover and the cost. But what if your executives knew that diversity turnover was off the chart, especially in tech where workers, and especially women, black and Latino tech workers were more likely to quit because of unfairness or mistreatmentAnd your executives would be even more concerned if they knew that high diversity turnover rates were costing a large corporation tens of millions of dollars each year. As a result of this continuous talent drain, it really shouldn’t be such a surprise when your firm consistently fails to meet its diversity goals. After successful diversity recruiting at your firm, HR for some reason left out diversity retention, the critical follow-up program.I call this loss the “diversity revolving door.” This is the same phenomena that occur when you’re filling a glass, because you’ll never succeed if there is a hole toward the bottom that results in much of the liquid pouring out. And that’s exactly what’s happening with most diversity recruiting programs. You spend tons of money and management time to bring in diversity recruits only to have them leave because there was no formal proactive and targeted effort to retain them.

Thursday, May 25, 2017

by Allan Maki Originally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: GlobeandMail.com When Tricia Smith was younger and on her way to athletic glory, her mother offered some advice, “Don’t beat the boys at school. It makes them feel bad.”Beating the boys didn’t motivate Smith. She simply wanted to be the best she could be. It turned out that attitude helped take her to a place she never imagined at a time when a meaningful number of power brokers in Canadian amateur sport are women – and there’s no reason to feel bad about it.Through Carla Qualtrough, Anne Merklinger and Smith, women occupy three top positions of influence as Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, CEO of Own The Podium and president of the Canadian Olympic Committee, respectively. All three were athletes. Qualtrough competed as a visually impaired swimmer at two Paralympics and won three medals. Merklinger swam for the Canadian national team and curled in the Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Smith was an Olympic silver medalist in rowing before becoming a lawyer. All three worked their way through a male-dominated system to help shape sports and inclusiveness in this country.

by Colin Perkel Originally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: CBC.caTwo women who endured years of sexual harassment as RCMP employees expressed mixed emotions as a landmark class-action suit against the force edged Wednesday toward final court approval.Speaking after a settlement hearing, the women expressed hope their long battle would pave the way for a more hospitable RCMP workplace."It's not a happy day based upon the fact that we've had to take this action to get change," said Linda Davidson, one of the representative plaintiffs. "That's sad. It's 2017."

by Greg GrishamOriginally published: May 22, 2017Publisher: CorpCounsel.comPersonal dress and appearance is a common way individuals express their personality, including their political and religious views. Unfortunately, the personal choices individuals make in attire, hairstyle and other personal appearance factors may collide with workplace rules, creating conflicts.Federal U.S. law does not directly regulate employer dress codes or appearance policies. However, it does prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on a number of protected characteristics including, for example, religion, sex, race and national origin. This prohibition on discrimination can implicate employer dress codes if they have a disparate impact on individuals in a protected classification or if the policy is selectively enforced. Federal law also requires U.S. employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of employees unless doing so would result in an undue hardship. Additionally, some employer dress code/appearance policies may violate U.S. labor law. Furthermore, U.S. employers must also be aware of state and local laws, which often provide greater protections for employees than provided by federal law. Finally, multinational employers must be aware of the laws in foreign jurisdictions, which may differ significantly from U.S. law. This article discusses significant U.S. laws that may impact employer dress code and appearance polices, while Part II of this article addresses the laws of significant European jurisdictions.

Originally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: IndianExpress.com The universal language of music may have a humanising effect and reduce feelings of prejudice between people from different racial backgrounds, say scientists. Researchers recorded a mock news story featuring an Arab and an American actor playing music together. They then showed the video clip to US participants who were not Arab.The team found that when viewing the two cultures collaborating on music, individuals in the study were prone to report more positive perceptions – less of a prejudiced view -of Arabs. “Music would not have developed in our civilisations if it did not do very important things to us,” said Jake Harwood, a professor at the University of Arizona (UA) in the US.“It allows us to communicate common humanity to each other. It models the value of diversity in ways you don’t readily see in other parts of our lives,” said Harwood. The benefits were notable, even when individuals did not play musical instruments themselves. Merely listening to music produced by outgroup members helped reduce negative feelings about outgroup members, Harwood said.

by Juliet Taylor Originally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: CivilSociety.co.ukThe role of an effective board plays can be make or break, so strength and diversity is vital, says Juliet Taylor. The right team of trustees for any arts, culture or heritage organisation is a formidable asset when we all find ourselves on shifting sands. Yet there is little guidance available centrally and consistently on how to plan, recruit for and support high performing boards. In particular, while there has been increased and often intense scrutiny on board governance, the human aspect of effective boards is easily overlooked. The challenges presented by the environment in which today’s not for profit organisations have to operate places a premium on strong and resilient boards that are equipped to steer the course. What should boards be thinking about?

by Cody GohlOriginally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: NewNowNext.com In an effort to represent the diversity of its clientele, Icelandair has released a new video advertisement featuring a middle-aged gay couple.The short spot shows the men enjoying all the best that Iceland has to offer—from horseback riding to taking in the Northern Lights—by using points earned through the Icelandic airline.“Icelandair’s customers are as diverse as they are many,” explained Icelandair brand manager Jón Skafti Kristjánsson. “We think it’s only natural to reflect that in our marketing material.”“This ad portrays a cultural trip to Iceland and the group it’s aimed at is people who travel to enjoy what life has to offer with their loved ones,” he continued. “So it was an obvious choice to use a loving middle-aged couple for such an ad; it’s worked well for us in the past. But this time we thought: why not add to the diversity and make this loving, middle-aged couple a same-sex couple?”

by VERNĀ MYERSOriginally published: May 24, 2017Publisher: Refinery29.comLast week Dean Nitin Nohria of Harvard Business School penned an editorial for the Washington Post on how diversity fails without inclusion. I appreciate how hard it must have been to go public on a subject that seems controversial to some: the lack of respect and equal opportunity for people of all backgrounds that still pervades our most august institutions. As a Black woman from working-class Baltimore and a Harvard-trained lawyer and Barnard alumna, I have my own experiences in elite and majority white-male educational and corporate institutions. I realize it’s especially hard for “the Asian Dean” of HBS to say such, because people of color who have “made it” are supposed to be grateful and not complain. We are supposed to be evidence that all is right with the world.But that’s simply not the case. As an expert in the field for over 20 years, what is clear to me — from meeting with young people who are surprised by both the lack of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) on their campuses and workplaces — is that our institutions need to step it up. D&I is not a controversial subject to most young folks; it is assumed and expected. If organizations like Harvard Business School are going to remain leaders in their fields, they must commit to transforming their cultural norms and systems.

Originally published: May 25, 2017Publisher: LAtimes.com Tennis star Serena Williams has 39 Grand Slam titles, four Olympic medals, major endorsement deals and her own line of clothing and accessories. Now she is embarking on a new mission: to help tech companies diversify their workforces and solve one of the industry's most vexing problems.Williams, 35, will get her chance as she joins a Silicon Valley boardroom. Online poll-taking service SurveyMonkey announced Williams' appointment to its board on Wednesday, along with Intuit Chief Executive Brad Smith.“I feel like diversity is something I speak to,” Williams said in an interview with the Associated Press. “Change is always happening; change is always building. What is important to me is to be at the forefront of the change and to make it easier for the next person that comes behind me.”

by Grace Donnelly Originally published: May 23, 2017Publisher: Fortune.com Apple has named Denise Young Smith vice president for Inclusion and Diversity, marking the company’s latest effort to improve racial and gender disparities among its employees. Young Smith, formerly the company’s global head of human resources, will take over diversity initiatives and report directly to Apple CEO, Tim Cook.She takes over for the previous head of diversity and inclusion, Jeffrey Siminoff, who served at a director level and reported to Young Smith. He left the company for Twitter in January of last year.It’s a step in the right direction for Apple, since best practices for corporate diversity indicate that having a CEO directly involved leads to more effective inclusion measures within an organization.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

by Shaun HeasleyOriginally published: May 23, 2017Publisher: DisabilityScoop.comA documentary about the unlikely rise of a group of swimmers on the autism spectrum will hit theaters this summer.The film “Swim Team” follows three New Jersey teenagers with autism who are part of a competitive swim team known as the Jersey Hammerheads and find success in the pool despite their challenges.“Children with developmental disabilities are routinely excluded from community activities, often as early as preschool,” said Lara Stolman, the documentary’s director.

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